African strategies in global imperial projects: a letter from the representative of the kingdom of Kongo to the emperor of Ethiopia (04/18/1617)

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to analyze the implications of an hypothetical diplomatic contact between the Kingdom of Congo and the lands of Prester John of Ethiopia during the pontificate of pope Paul V Borghese (1605-1621). The main document analyzed is a letter dated 04/18/1617 addressed to the Emperor of Ethiopia by Juan Bautista Vives, Representative of the Kings of Congo in Rome, in which  the establishment of direct relations between the two monarchies is suggested, in order to increase the Christian faith and to strengthen the Church in the face of Turkish menace in the East. The goal is to verify to what extent this proposal expresses the interests or intentions of Central African sovereigns or to what extent it expresses the interests or intentions of the papal policy regarding the expansion of Catholicism. The paper aims to evaluate the scope of Kongo's political initiatives in the complex and multifaceted international scenario in which influence disputes took place, on a global scale, from European decision-making centers.